Cushion for stamps.



F. E. FROST.

CUSHION FOR STAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1908.

921 ,224. Pat entgd May 11, 1909.

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z! I Zia IEZ 'KUUZ". n/ 5" QM/@1916 FREDERICK E. FROST, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

CUSHION FOR STAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 6,

Patented May 1 1, 1909.

1908. Serial No. 425,472.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. Fnosr, a citizen of the United States, residing at ld orcester, in the countv of ll orcester and T State of l'dassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Cushion for Stamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a cushion for hand stamps and other printing devices.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a sheet, block, or blank of yielding flexible material which may readily be I divided in one or two directions by cutting along lines of separation, preferably molded into the same, so as to produce any desired size of cushion for a hand stamp or the like; to provide a blank and cushion which, having no closed air space to be compressed in use, will be equally flexible in all directions so as to permit printing on plain, convex, concave, and irregular surfaces; and yet will have sufficient material and be of such a construction that the repeated flexing due to constant use will not easily result in tearing or disrupting the material to provide a coinaratively firm supporting plate just at the ase having a vertical wall at the bottom of each side; and generally to improve the con struction of cushions for printing stamps and the like.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings which show certain preferred forms of the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a hand stamp showing one form of the invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a sheet or blank adapted to be cut into the form of cushion shown in Fig. l Fig. 3 is a similar view of another form of sheet or blank also made according to this invention; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of another modification Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a blank from which the cushion shown in Fig. 4 may be made; Fig. 6 is a similar view showing another form of blank or sheet for producing the same kind of cushion, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another modification.

In order to provide a sheet or blank which can readily be cut up to produce the desired size of cushion, it is molded or otherwise produced in such form as to have a series of open ended arallel grooves A on the upper side thereo extending downwardly from the top and gradually decreasing in width so as preferably to have a triangular cross section.

! Between the bottoms of these grooves and l the bottom of the cushion or sheet is a material strip B of rubber or the like, of which the cushion is constructed to form a firm support for the rest of the cushion. Between the grooves it will be seen is a comparatively solid continuous block B of flexible material which maybe sponge, rubber, or the like. It will be seen that when the blank is out up by slitting down through the bottoms of these grooves, there will be a vertical surface at the edge which will serve as a comparatively firm support for the cushion and prevent too great movement thereof. N ow in order to secure additional flexibility in all directions, an d to provide for cutting up the blank, or sheet in the other direction, the bottom of the cushion is provided with a series of grooves I). These grooves in both of the forms shown in the drawings are illustrated as consisting merely of slits. These may be made in the process of molding by having thin core pieces in the mold or they may be cut in the sheet after it is molded. In either event both of the sets of grooves, preferably extend past the middle of the blank or cushion so that they intersect each other as indicated in. Fig. 2. Thus there is a most flexible construction and one which has been found in practice to be capable of clear and accurate printing on the small end of an I egg, which is a severe test for this class of stamps.

In Fig. l is shown a cushion of predetermined size cut from the blank shown in Fig. 2, the type E being fixed upon it, and the cushion then glued to the handle or body of the stamp F. It will be seen that the upper edges of the blocks between the grooves A, which have a flat surface, are glued to the bottom of the handle F. In use it is found that although the bottom surface of the cushion is fixed to the rubber type sheet so that the adjacent ends of the parts between the grooves D cannot be separated, yet pressure tends to separate the walls of the grooves a distance farther up, and permits the type to yield readily to print on curved and irregular surfaces.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 the upper grooves A are shown also in the form of slits like the lower ones. All the grooves therefore in this form have vertical Walls instead of slanting ones, and in both these forms they are shown as intersecting the grooves D at right angles.

tending upwardly from the bottom and in- In the form of the invention shown in Figs. t and 5, a strip is produced suitable for a certain minimum width of type having the groove A as in the other case, and provided with two surfaces G by which it may be glued to the handle. In this case the opposite walls H are slanted similarly to the inner sides of the groove A, and vertical walls K v are preferably provided for the same purpose as the walls G. The strip shown in Fig. 5 may also be produced in large sheets as shown in Fig. 6, in which case additional grooves M are provided on the opposite side to produce the walls II.

In Fig. 7 is shown a form of the invention in which the principles of Figs. 1 and 4 are combined. The cushion has a double form with the slanting walls H, and two triangular spaces A separated by a central support L. It also preferably involves the slits I).

While I have illustrated and described cer tain forms in which the invention may be embodied, I am aware that many inodii'ications may be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. lherefore I do not wish to be limited to the particular details of construction shown and described, but

What I do claim is 1. A cushion for stamps consisting of a sheet or block of yielding material having an open-ended groove opening inwardly from the top thereof and decreasing in width downwardly, said groove extending nearly to the bottom of the cushion and being separated therefrom by a material thickness of said yielding material, and cross grooves extersecting said groove.

2. A cushion for stamps consisting of a sheet orblock of yielding material having a plurality of open-ended grooves opening inwardly from the top thereof and decreasing in width downwardly, said grooves extending nearly to the bottom of the cushion and being separated therefrom by a material thickness of said yielding material, and cross grooves in the form of slits extending upwardly from the bottom and intersecting the other grooves, whereby the cushion may be cut up in two directions along said grooves to form individual cushions.

3. A cushion for stamps comprising a sheet or block of flexible material having grooves on opposite sides, those on one side extending more than half way through the sheet and intersecting those on the other.

4. As an article of manufacture a cushion for stamps having parallel grooves on top and parallel grooves on the bottom at an angle thereto, one set of grooves extending more than half way through the cushion.

5. A stamp having a cushion provided with parallel grooves on the top thereof and arallel rooves on the bottom at an an le thereto extending part way through, those on the bottom being in the form of slits, and type fixed along the bottom surface thereof and covering the open sides of said slits.

6. A stamp having a cushion provided with crossing grooves on its opposite sides each extending only part way through, and type fixed to the lower side and extending across the grooves thereon.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK E. FROST. Witnesses ALBERT E. FAY, C. FORREST WEssoN. 

